Indians 8, Tigers 2
CLEVELAND -- Carlos Carrasco pitched eight strong innings and Francisco Lindor hit his first major-league home run as the Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 8-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field.
Cleveland salvaged the third game of the series with Detroit behind the right-handed Carrasco (9-6), who gave up two runs on five hits and one walk, striking out seven.
Right-hander Buck Farmer (0-2) took the loss after being recalled from Triple-A Toledo to start in place of right-hander Justin Verlander, who was scratched due to a sore back.
Farmer looked strong initially, striking out five hitters in a row from the end of the first inning to the beginning of the third. But, in the third inning, the Indians sent seven men to the plate and strung together five consecutive hits in a three-run rally.
With one out in the third, second baseman Jason Kipnis singled -- extending his hitting streak to 19 games, the longest in the American League this season.
Lindor, Cleveland's shortstop, also singled, moving Kipnis to second, and left fielder Michael Brantley's single to right field scored Kipnis.
Lindor was thrown out at second after rounding the bag too far on Brantley's hit, but the Indians still managed to keep the rally going.
Designated hitter David Murphy made it four singles in a row, with a line drive to center, moving Brantley to second. First baseman Carlos Santana then doubled to center field, scoring Brantley and Murphy to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead.
It became 4-0 in the fifth inning, when Lindor belted his first home run, into the seats in right field.
The Indians knocked Farmer out of the game in the sixth inning when they added another run. With catcher Yan Gomes on at first and one out, left-hander Tom Gorzelanny relieved Farmer and struck out center fielder Michael Bourn, but third baseman Giovanny Urshela singled through the left side, moving Gomes to second.
Gorzelanny then lost the strike zone. He walked Kipnis to load the bases, then he walked Lindor to force in Gomes with a run that made it a 5-0.
Carrasco held the Tigers scoreless on two hits through the first six innings, although he was aided by the decision of Tigers manager Brad Ausmus to rest first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who is hitting .619 with five home runs and 16 RBIs vs. Cleveland this year.
The Tigers finally reached Carrasco for two runs in the seventh inning. With one out, left fielder Yoenis Cespedes doubled off the wall in left-center. Right fielder J.D. Martinez then pounded an 0-2 pitch from Carrasco over the left-field wall for a two-run homer, Martinez's 17th home run of the year.
The Indians got those two runs back in the bottom of the seventh as Santana singled and right fielder Brandon Moss doubled ahead of a two-run single by Gomes off right-hander Al Alburquerque, giving Cleveland a 7-2 lead. Pinch hitter Ryan Raburn's double in the eighth inning drove in Cleveland's final run.
NOTES: Indians C Yan Gomes was back in the lineup after missing four of the last five games due to a stiff neck. ... Indians OF David Murphy leads the majors with three pinch-hit home runs this season. That ties the Indians' record for most pinch-hit homers in a season; it has been done five previous times, most recently by Jason Giambi in 2013. ... The Tigers optioned LHP Ian Krol to Triple-A Toledo to make room for RHP Buck Farmer, who started in place of RHP Justin Verlander (sore back).